Automobile radiator



lT. F. PAYNE.

AUTOMOBILE RADIATOR. APPLICATION FILED APR. 1s. 1918.

y 1,428,901. Patentedsept. 12,1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Patented Sept. 12, 1922.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AUTOMOBILE RADIATOR.

Application led vApril 18, 1918.

To all 'whom 'it may concern Be it known that I, THOMAS F. PAYNE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automobile Radiators, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to radiators for water-cooled automobile engines and particularly to radiators having individually removable sections.

One purpose of my invention is to provide means for readily attaching or detaching the separable units from the radiator. Another object is to provide a very staunch and rigid construction which will be able to withstand the rough usage to which automobile trucks are subjected in traveling over rough roads, reducing the liability of leakage to a minimum, while affording a maximum of cooling and radiating surface. Furthermore, I greatly reduce the number and extent of soldered joints and so construct those required that they possess great strength and capacity to resist strains; and moreover arrange the exposed joints so that they are readily accessible for inspection or repair.` y

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of a radiator embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view showing the arrangement of the unit sections lin the radiator; Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a schematic view showing the arrangement of the tubes in a unit section; Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view of one of the radiator tubes; Fig. 6 is a front elevation, partly broken away, of the radiator; Fig. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view of a cast bottom tank, and Fig. 8 is a transverse sectional view on the line 8,-8 of Fig. 7.

The upper or inlet tank 2 of the radiatori is provided with the usual filling cap 3, and pipe connection 4 for connection with the engine water cooling system and the bottom or outlet tank 6 is likewise provided with a pipe connectionl 7 for connection with the engine cooling system.

The upper tank is formed into a rearwardly and downwardly directed extension 10, and the bottom tank is similarly formed into an upwardly directed rear extension 12,

Serial No. 229,315.

these extensions being provided with aligned apertures in the front and back walls to receive the tubular nipples which project rearwardly from the headers of the radiator units or sections.v These units or radiator sections each comprise several narrow tubes 15 which are secured at the top and bottom in headers 16, 17. Each tube is preferably formed of a sheet of metal bent back upon itself, thus forming closed forward ends 15a and the two edges are then bent back and forth in serpentine manner to form the rear vertical joint 15b. This joint may be soldered by dipping it into an acid bath to thoroughly cleanse it and then into a molten bath of solder which will flow around the several convolutions until the entire joint is filled as indicated at 18 in Fig. 5. This forms an unusually strong and rigid joint which is braced upon itself in such a manner that it will not be liable to crack or leak. In case this should occur, however, a leak can be easily detected because these vertical joints are all exposed at the rear of the radiator and are, therefore, readily accessible. Each tube is provided with vertical corrugations which are held in spaced relation by inwardly directed teats 19 indented in one wall and at the angles of the corrugations vand bearing against the inwardly extending angles of the other wall. I prefer to interrupt the corrugations with one or more transverse ribs 2O to increase the rigidity of the tube. The headers consist of stamped or cast rectangular shallow vessels which are slitted transversely to receive the ends of the tubes. After the tubes have been soldered in the header as indicated at 21 the cover plate 162L or 17a is soldered in posi tion to close the header chamber. As I have indicated in Fig. 4, the tubes of each unit are spaced laterally a distance apart sufficient to permit any tube to be withdrawn without interfering with the other tubes of the unit.

The header is provided with a rearwardly extending tubular nipple 25 which is horizontal when in position and is adapted to enter the apertures 26 in the front and rear walls of the tank extensions. The outer ends of the nipples are threaded to constitute connecting studs and receive cap nuts 27 which secure the headers rigidly in position and also close the outer ends of the nipples.

It is evident, of course, that the nipples may be formed with closed outer ends.

- tendency to collapse when the nuts 27 are drawn up tightly upon the nipples which are threaded through the spools. Both the nipples and the spools are provided with lateral openings to provide communicating passages 31 between the headers and the tanks. In some cases the tanks may be cast instead of being 'formed of stamped metal and in this case integral partitions 32 may be formed therein as I have indicated in Figs. 7 and 8 and when this construction is used the spools 30 are unnecessary. Either constructionfprovides an exceedingly rigid structure of great strength which is practically free from any danger of breakage even when subjected to the most severe strains to which automobiles and trucks may be subjected.

The upper and lower tanks 2 and 6 may be tied together in any suitable manner conforming with t-he usual radiator construction. In the present instance, this is shown as being eiiected by the provision of heavy side plates 35 to which the tanks are riveted and which may be provided with brackets 36 for connection with. the frame of the vehicle. A suitable front cover frame 37 may be provided as iswell understood. rIhe very important advantages'of the construction which I have defined above will be especially appreciated by engineers and those familiar with the -present forms of radiator constructions. The wide narrow tubes which extendy from front-to rear in zigzag manner provide a maximum cooling or rediating surface, while the intermediate transverse ribs 20 which intercept the vertical corrugations impart a stiffness and rigidity sutcient to counteract lany tendency to bend or become miS-shapen. The manner of constructing the headers with a cover plate which is not put on until after the tubes have been secured therein isquite important asvit allows the ends of the tubes to be carefully and thoroughly soldered before the. header is closed. One of the most important features of my invention resides in the manner of connecting the headers wvith the tanks by means of the tubular nipples which constitute the passageways between the. tanks .and the headers and also the bolts or shanks by which the radiator units are secured in position, no other bolts ory fastening means being required. It will be observed that there are` no threaded apertures or bolt holes in the tanks. Furthermore, the rear tank extensions are exceedingly well braced yby means of the spools vorthimbles 30 surrounding. the nipples 25 so that there is no tendency of these extensions to warp or sions parallel to said nipples. i

twist and it is, therefore, practically impossible t'or the radiator units to be thrown out of alignment.

I have described in detail the particular construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings, but it will be evident to engineers that various changes and modifications may be made within the scope of my claims and without in any manner departing from my invention.

l. An automobile radiator, comprising upper and lower tanks and a plurality. of intermediate detachable vradiator units, said tanks being provided .at their rear sides with inwardly directed extensions projecting beyond said radiator units and providedv with horizontally aligning apertures, each of said radiator' units, having aplurality of narrow tubes and headers to which the tubes are integrally united, said. headers being provided with horizontally projecting tubular nipples adapted kto extend through said aligning apertures, said nipples` being provided with lateral openings and. having their outer ends threaded" to: receive lock nuts. 5 j

2. An automobileV radiator, comprising upper and lower tanks provided at one side with extensions projecting` toward each other, and each-having horizontally aligning apertures in their walls located rearwardly of the tanks, apluralityv of radiator units, each unit having upper and lowerheaders provided with horizontally projecting tubular nipples having.perforatedl walls which extend through said aligning apertures Ito constitute the passages between the tanks and the headers and also the supports for the units, andbrace or stay. members extending between opposite walls of saidrexten- 3. An automobile radiatolgg. comprising upperv and lowertanks and a plurality of detachable radiator lunits, `said tanks being provided with extensions projecting beyond the body of the radiator andA inwardly toward each other, said extensions being-provided with horizontally aligned apertures, each radiator unit having headers at opposite endsprovided with horizontally ,projecting tubular nipples adapted to extend ythrough said aligning apertures andl provided with lateral'apertures forming a communication between the headersA and the tanks` and stay orbrace members` sleeved aboutsaid nipples and providedwith lateral apertures cooperating with said first named apertures.

4L. A cooling imit or section for-,automobile radiators, comprising a plurality ofI juxtaposed thin tubes, each constituted of a single metal sheet bent back upon itself tov form thek walls and a closed vert-ical edge of the cooling tube, and the free longitudinal edges being folded back and forth into a plurality of folds and soldered throughout the folds to form a Water-tight joint along the other vertical edge7 and headers to which the opposite ends of the tubes are united.

5. A cooling unit or section for automobile radiators, comprising a plurality of juxtaposed thin tubes, each constituted of a single metal sheet bent back upon itself to form the Walls and a closed vertical edge of the cooling tube, and the free longitudinal edges being folded back and forth in superposed folds and soldered throughout the folds to vform a rigid vertical joint or seam, and

headers to which the opposite ends of the tubes are united.

G. A cooling unit or section for automobile radiators, comprising a plurality of juxtaposed thin tubes, and headers each comprising a box-like member having integral bottom and side Walls and provided With slots in its inner Wall through which the ends of the tubes project, the tubes being soldered to said Wall, and a cover plate soldered to the edges of the side Walls to close 25 the header.

In testimony whereof I aiiix In. signature.

THOMAS F. AYNE. 

